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Stark State Breaks Ground on Fuel Cell Prototyping Center

November 22, 2004 by Jeff Shepard

Stark State College (Ohio), with assistance from US Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, broke ground October 13, 2004, on a $4.4 million fuel cell prototyping center that will position Stark State College as a leader to support the research, development and commercialization of fuel cells. Secretary Abraham also announced over $5 million in hydrogen research grants to Ohio companies and universities while in Canton.

The college also received $780,000 from the National Science Foundation for a Fuel Cell Technology Curriculum Development Project, bringing total funding generated for fuel cell activity on the campus to more than $5.2 million. The 23,000 ft² fuel cell prototyping center, scheduled to open in October 2005, will function as a pre-production facility that will serve as a bridge between research and the marketplace.

The center will enable SOFCo-EFS and other companies involved in fuel cell development to cost-effectively produce prototypes that will lead to successful production and commercialization of fuel cells. In the process, it will provide state-of-the-art laboratories for secondary and postsecondary students to learn first-hand the basics and advantages of emerging power technologies.